Trump says US will rename artificial intelligence 'super intelligence'

US President Donald Trump has said his administration will begin referring to artificial intelligence as "super intelligence", as he used his address to the United Nations to reject calls for tighter regulation of the rapidly developing technology.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Trump said the term artificial intelligence would be replaced by "super intelligence" in US government documents.

"Hereinafter called super intelligence. Changing the name," Trump told world leaders and delegates.

The announcement does not currently amount to a requirement for American technology companies or other private businesses to stop using the term artificial intelligence.

Trump pushes back against AI regulation

The US president used the wider speech to reiterate his opposition to tighter restrictions on the development of artificial intelligence.

Trump argued that limiting the technology could risk allowing other countries, particularly China, to overtake the United States in the development of advanced AI.

However, he suggested his administration would continue to monitor the industry and said the (United States) Department of Justice could intervene if necessary.

"We're going to watch it closely through the Department of Justice," Trump said.

His comments come amid growing international debate over how governments should respond to increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems.

Earlier on Tuesday, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres called for greater oversight of AI, warning world leaders about the risks associated with allowing the technology to develop without sufficient safeguards.

The contrasting speeches highlighted a growing disagreement over how advanced AI should be governed internationally.

What does 'super intelligence' mean?

The terminology could also cause some confusion within the technology industry.

"Artificial intelligence" is the broad term currently used for computer systems capable of performing tasks commonly associated with human intelligence.

"Superintelligence", meanwhile, already has a more specific meaning within discussions about advanced AI.

It is generally used to describe a hypothetical form of artificial intelligence whose capabilities exceed those of humans across a wide range of tasks.

Even the White House's 2026 Economic Report of the President distinguishes between current artificial intelligence, artificial general intelligence and artificial superintelligence.

It remains unclear how broadly the Trump administration intends to implement the new terminology across the US government.

The White House has previously introduced executive orders aimed at accelerating AI development and adoption. In June, Trump signed an order promoting advanced AI innovation and security across federal government systems.

No new executive order requiring private US companies to use the term "super intelligence" had been announced alongside Tuesday's UN speech.